ICNA Relief is organizing a "Eid Toy Drive" for Muslim children of low income families (indigenous and refugee) living in Chicago. The goal is to distribute the toys, goody bags, and other gift items on Eid-ul-Fitr and bring joy and happiness to the faces of the children that receive them.
In order to achieve this goal, the Muslim community is requested to donate the following items:
To distribute these properly, we would like to receive all gifts no later than September 27th.
For more information, please contact us @1-800-662-ISLAM (4752) or relief@icnachicago.org.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Eid Toy (Gift) Drive
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Help Needed for Muslim Daughters in New York
This is a good deed for Muslims in New York.
I received this email via one of my yahoogroups. Normally, we are not allowed to disperse information beyond the circle but this is an obvious exception.
Asalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatu
The rewards for visiting the sick are great in both number and magnitude....
The Prophet Muhammad sallahAllahu aleyhi waSalam said:"If a man calls on his sick Muslim brother, it is as if he walks reaping the fruits of Paradise until he sits, and when he sits he is showered in mercy, and if this was in the morning, seventy thousand angels send prayers upon him until the evening, and if this was in the evening, seventy thousand angels send prayers upon him until themorning." (Al-Tirmidhi)
With that said: I don't know if people heard of the tragic gas explosion that severely burned 4 Yemeni girls October 6th. It has been almost two months and no sister has visited any of these little girls, may Allah heal them and grant them the highest Jannah for their courage and strength.
As to not overcrowd the children or overwhelm them, please go only in small groups, If you can bring gifts at all, that would be wonderful. Please see contact person below.
Here is some information about the family: The father, Rasas Alghaithi, a recent immigrant from Yemen, is the sole surviving parent of the gas explosion, which destroyed their apartment building. Four of his five daughters experienced burns over 80% of their bodies. The daughter that was spared had gone out with her father, when the explosion occurred.masha'llaah.
Since the explosion, October 6th, the recovery of the two youngest has MashaAllah been miraculous! One is up and about, paintingand playing, with the nurses. The two older daughters are still unstable on ventilators, tube feedings...etc.]
Two are on the 6th floor,and two are on the 8th floor. Although on different floors, two visitors ONLY are allowed per child at one time. And it is best, forthe two girls who are still unstable,[both in the same room], one visitor for each. This would be best to maintain the dignity of all concerned, insha'llah.
The girls names are Du'a, Tuqaa, Leena', and Afaaf. Please remember: They do not know their mother has died.
Note Well: ANY AND ALL GIFTS[ TOYS, CLOTHES, MUST BE IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING. The girls range from 3 to 9 years old. The 2 youngest girls are scheduled to be discharged within the next 10 days to temporary housing near City College, Convent House[138th Street & ConventAvenue]
They are in need of household things, especially rugs for the kids' room, bedding etc.
The girls are at Weill Medical College of Cornell University525 E 68th StNew York, NY 10021-4870, US Hospital number is 212-746-5000
There's a contact person to call: Sarah Musa 614-354-7417I recommend anyone who wants to help or visit to give her a call.
Visiting hours are over at 8pm. If you would like to donate items to furnish their new home, please call Sarah to inquire on the specifics.
Items can be dropped off in the box at the IC of NYU (until 10pm onweekdays)or directly to where they will be staying (10-4:30pm)at:
The Convent Avenue Living Centerc/o Eugena Simpson,
Case Manager34 Convent Avenue
[Manhattan, 5 blocks south of City College]
Suite#3 NY, NY 10027
phone # 866-7816 Ext:20
Once again, Cash can be given to Khalid Latif or Prof. Shair of NYU. Checks or money orders can be made out and sent to:
Accident Victims Relief Fund, Inc. [Algaithi, Rasas]
Kramer & Pollack,
Attorneys at Lawc/o Joshua Pollack,
Esq.225 Broadway Suite 613
New York, NY 10007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Love Thine Baby!
One minute you are a care free, irresponsible girl (woman) waking up at midday, eating ice cream and lounging around listening to music. Or you are that flighty career woman always on the move, with work motivating your life.
Next minute you have a baby. So it may take half and hour, it make 48 half-an-hours, but every Muslimah knows life will never be the same again. Children are so important in Islam that nearly all Muslim women rearrange their lives to suit their bundles of joy.
I read this article on Baby Center and it was brilliant!
I love the poop part. LOL.
What changes when you have a baby? A better question may be: What doesn't change? Here, writer and mom Rebecca Woolf lists her most notable post-baby observations. Then scroll down to read our favorite comments from readers about how their babies changed their lives.
1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
And from our readers...
1. "You discover how much there is to say about one tooth." — Ashley's mom
2. "You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth." — Anonymous
3. "You now know where the sun comes from." — Charlotte
4. "You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have." — Sophie's mom
5. "You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers." — Roxanne
6. "You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night." — Kellye
7. "Silence? What's that?" — Anonymous
8. "You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having." — Brenda
9. "You discover an inner strength you never thought you had." — Ronin and Brookie's mom
10. "You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule." — Thomas' mom
11. "You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one." — Jaidyn's mom
12. "Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog." — Kara
13. "You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late." — Tracey
14. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury." — Jayden's mom
15. "You realize that you can love a complete stranger." — Dezarae's mom
Everyone agree?
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
What's in Mama's Milk?
An American OBGYN met with an Egyptian OBGYN. He was facing a predicament. Two mothers had given birth to two babies - one a baby girl and the other a baby boy. Both mothers were under the impression that the baby boy belonged to them.
This happened long before the exitence of DNA determination and the American doctor felt he was at a dead-end in resolving this dispute.
The Egyptian doctor recommended that he consult a wise man in Eqypt, an ulema. The two doctors described the situation to the ulema.
The ulema replied, "test both mothers' breast milk and you will find a difference in their constituents."
The American doctor upon returning home, did as what he was requested. What he found in both mothers' breastmilk was shocking.
One mother had double the nutrients of the other mother. For every unit of protein of one mother, the other had 2. For every unit of minerals in the same mother, the other had 2.
He quickly reported this findings back to his Egyptian comrade. The Egyptian OBGYN consulted the ulema once again.
The ulema then relayed, "the mother with double the nutrients in her milk, is the mother to the baby boy."
As men inherit double than women, under normal circumstances reflects that men need the extra portion. Under inheritance law, men are provided with double of his female counterparts because family, including his wife, children, parents, sisters and sometimes even aunts, are dependants on a man's earnings. A woman enjoys financial freedom over her money, property and inheritance.
Accordingly, men need more than women, when it comes to earning and inheritance. The same way, baby boys need more than baby girls when growing up. Ask any mother and she will agree that her son drinks more, eats more, is more active, than her daughters. Boys and girls are different and through our physical observation, this is apparent. Boys are generally bigger and stronger than girls - and though they mature slower and take time to catch up physically, at the end of puberty - men are still physically bigger and stronger. They just need that extra more nutrients.
My family doctor had told me that story during a sick visit to the clinic. My son was ill for the first time. She asked what he drank, and I said Mama's Milk.
She says there has been no research done on breast milk to validate the story, but through her observation and experience, many more baby boys, as compared to baby girls - who are formula-fed - fall sick. Obviously formula milk is not identical to Mama's Milk - they are deficient in several nutrients - but imagine that baby boys do not receive the constituents they would need as compared to their sisters if they are not breastfed.
This is just a thought. Allah know best. After all, He provides Mama's Milk to both baby boys and girls.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Kids Still Teach Us
Today, I took my four-year-old son to the park to play. There another four-year-old child came up to him and said that she would play with him. They played Tag. They played Hide-N-Seek. They played Follow the Leader. They played like they had known each other for ages. As I was watching them play, I looked over to see the child's mother standing far away from us.
As I observed the children playing, I realized that they did not discriminate between each other. So what if my child had a "different" name than his park buddy. She didn't care. My son even corrected her on how to pronounce his name. She tried and came close until he accepted her pronunciation.
These children have no clue about diversity, race, ethnicity. I found it interesting. Why is it harder for adults to make friends with people other than their own culture? I think we have a lot to learn by watching how children interact with each other.
By observing these innocent children playing, I realized that hatred and discrimination are learned traits.
So, I dare you my friend, to go make friends with other people than your own culture, race and religion. Do it.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
The Midi Market of the Future
"From birth to the age of seven, play with them; to teach them thereafter, until the age of 14; and to be their friend throughout the teenage years, until they reach 21."
To any parent, these guidelines are extremely wide and have many dimensions of interpretation, yet they come with undeniable wisdom and allow us to develop our parenting skills with relentless care and sensitivity.
Zooming in on the second age-group of children, the one he (peace upon him) relates to as the "learning age group" of 7-14, any parent would know that children this age learn quickly, absorb new lessons effectively and are able to rationalise on what they have learned.
Children this age look up intently for role models and tend to find comfort in the parent that shares the same gender. Parents in turn should pay alot of attention to these eager minds and nosy parkers because this is the right age to start teaching children right from wrong.
From age 14 onwards, children tend to grow into the wonky hormonal stage of puberty and teenage years and from then on, communicating with your child takes on a whole new meaning.
When Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) talked about teaching children, he did not only mean sitting down and looking over homework. Learning at this stage can stand is a daily activity for a child.
Bare in mind then, however conscientious we are at "teaching" our children, there is also the danger of them learning lessons subconsciously from our own carelessness.
Once upon a time, when I was in that age bracket of 7-14, (it was not that long ago really, lol), we had an opportunity to live in Brussles, Belgium. My siblings and I attended an International School, comprising mostly of European students, mainly British.
Being a Muslim family living in the West, the hunt for halal food was inevitable, and the one place in Brussels that Islamically slaughtered chicken and meat was available was in a place called Midi Market.
Midi Market was represented the home for the Morrocan community in Brussels. You would really feel different upon entering the marketplace. It was like standing on the border of Morroco, if you like, though I have never had the pleasure of visiting that country. There were no Belgian people there, just Morrocans and more Morrocans.
Unfortunately, there was a general sentiment amongst the locals, as well as other inhabitants in Belgium that these Moroccan people were really not that nice. Many Malaysians had encounters with them, the youth mostly, asking for money and mostly causing problems on public transportations. Many were also known to pick-pocket. One of my dad's friends had his coat spat on when he refused their requests for loose change.
No, Morrocans were not nice. This was what I was told, over and over again, through a series of many stories.
After a while, my siblings and I never ventured out to Midi market with my parents for their weekly groceries. Too many Morrocans, they would warn, as they drove across the city to the only place halal meat was available.
I would lie if I said I did not agree with them at the time. A few years later during my wonky teenage years I was waiting for a friend during a shopping spree and a Morrocan teenager came up to me. He asked for money, so I said "no." Then he asked again, and I persisted "no." Then he said I had a nice winter jacket and he had nothing to eat. I plonked in some coins into his cup but before I heard them jingle against the plastic, three other guys were advancing towards me, palms outstretch for change. I fled the scene.
After I nearly killed my friend for making me wait for so long I saw my Morrocan buddy chain-smoking at the corner of the street. I concluded he was an idiot.
That incident just fortified my dislike for the Morrocan community living in Brussles. To me, they were all trouble makers.
A couple of wonky years later, in an undisputed peculiar twist of fate and faith, I decided to wear the hijab. That is a different story all together. I was not living in Belgium, but had moved back to my home-country to study.
My family remained in Brussles and I would visit them during my study breaks.
Things were definitely different the moment I entered the country dressed as I was. I now looked like a Muslim.
Walking down the street malls a few years before, I would have never attracted attention - so I was Asian and short, no big deal. With my headscarf however, it was very differnt.
Women would hang on to their handbags and pull them around acorss their chests. Their husbands / boyfriends / friends would tell them to, yelling "hang on to your bag! Hang on to your purse!" And so they did. I would also notice how their pupils would make an indefinite turn to keep me in the corner of their sight, and no matter much shorter I was compared to them, it was actually possible.
Mothers would pull their kids out of the way... or in fact pull them out of my way... and then pull their bags out of my reach.
People would definitely stare and then pretend not to stare, and then stare again, palms around their valuables.
For many moments thereon, I felt like how it would have to felt to be a Morrocan from Midi market. The ones who were marginalised by everyone, except Muslims when their freezers ran dry of halal meat. But even that did not stop them from spreading the nasty stories about the one or two not very nice teenagers on the local tram.
I also realised that I had been taught during my years of learning that anyone who looked vaguely Morrocan was either a loose-change beggar or a pick-pocketer. I had been taught that Morrocans were just not very nice people. Now I was one of them.
The final embellishment came from someone still dawdling in the learning age group - my little brother. He said to me, "Maria, you look like an Islamic terrorist." Did I conclude that he was an idiot. Maybe, at that time, but now, years later I realise that he had been taught to think that way too.
"All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have any superiority over a white except by piety and good action."
(Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) farewell sermon).
You can't help to reflect that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) warned us against racism during his time as Prophet - he even reminded his followers to eradicate racial discrimination during his farewell sermon.
Unfortunately, as much as Muslims are being discriminated against by non-Muslims who are educated by mainstream media, this hate crime exists within Muslim societies of our own. To make matters worse, children, young children, have their ears peeled open and listen to our laments of "other Muslims" of "other ethnicities" with such distaste.
You can't get enough of a certain hierarchy within the Muslim world. Purple Muslims are better than Blue Muslims. Blue Muslims are smarter than Orange Muslims. Orange Muslims are more beautiful than Pink Muslims. Pink Muslims build better Masjids than Green Muslims. The lists goes on, and we are passing on that very same list to the next Muslim generation - that eager mind and nosy parker listening intently as you and your spouse complain about the Brown Muslim family living down the street.
I'm sure there were sour apples in one of the million baskets in Midi market. I had a run in with one of them, a memory that will stick with me forever. What I do not want forever though, is the lesson I learned of Morrocan people so horridly stereotyped that every Muslim would be known as thief or a scoundrel... let alone an Islamic terrorist.
Now that I am way above the age of consent in any country and addicted to the Internet - mostly for work - I find Midi markets everywhere, in every nook and cranny. In fact, I visit them all the time. I interact with them and I learn from them every single day.
I have met Muslim sisters who have reverted to the beautiful faith through their wonderful Morrocan husbands. I have learned how these families manage themselves and live in accordance to Islamic creed. I have met Morrocan brothers and sisters so steadfast in their faith, that any Muslim - Blue, Yellor or Magenta - would pause in awe, and say Masha'Allah.
Maybe that is something we would like to pass on to our eager minds and nosy parkers.
I feel horrible for the Morrocans who live in Brussels mostly because I had such a negative perception on all of them, even though there were many sweet apples in the baskets at Midi market.
With enough problems on our plates, Muslims need to hold steadfast together. This will not only stengthen the present ummah that is grappling dangerously with diversity and constant change with different Muslim societal infrastructures - it is also necessary for our children.
They learn from us every day and it is their right to be taught right from wrong - whether consciously or carelessly.
And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided. (Al `Imran 3: 103)
